


T-I-Double-Oh-Seven

by Linorien



Series: 007 Fest 2020 [11]
Category: James Bond (Classic movies), James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, F/M, Halloween, Inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25211641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linorien/pseuds/Linorien
Summary: The MI6 crew volunteered to go trick-or-treating with some local day care kids and it was going to be the boring part before the work party later, but then the curse struck and their choice of costumes had some unintentional consequences.
Relationships: Q/Octopussy
Series: 007 Fest 2020 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810804
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7
Collections: 007 Fest Fancreations, Sp00qy





	T-I-Double-Oh-Seven

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anyawen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anyawen/gifts).



> FYI, Octopussy's real name is Octavia.

The MI6 Halloween party was an event to look forward to. Costumes were amazing and many of the agents, even some of the staffers, fully got in character, making the night a wild party. (Last year Tarzan and Hamlet had gotten into an argument on the proper way to woo a woman. It ended with some impressive yodelling off the rooftop balcony.) This year promised to be even better. 

A new costume shop had opened up in Soho and the proximity meant many were exploring the shelves, looking for inspiration. Baron Samedi’s Costume Emporium had everything: The classic “sexy” costumes and perfectly appropriate costumes for children. They had pop culture both new and old. They even offered to work within your designs to create the perfect costume. 

This was what Lillian was taking advantage of as she made James Bond’s costume. He’d gone as batman last year but was disappointed when everyone knew it was him right away. It took the fun out of acting in character if they knew it was you from the start. So he asked Lillian for help creating the best Tigger costume anyone had seen. No one would expect a character from a children’s book from him. He also hinted that he was really good on a pogo stick. 

M had already picked out a pirate costume months ago, but he went with Moneypenny to peruse the store anyway. After searching for hours and laughing as she tried on a Legolas costume, a renaissance noble gown, and weeping angel costume, she settled on a perfect replica of Mary Poppins. “I loved this film growing up,” she gushed when she saw it. “Plus, this overcoat is sturdy enough for regular wear. A bit of closet cosplay whenever I want.” M just told her she looked great and bought a parrot he could control with some wires to put on his shoulder. 

Q gave Octavia free reign to pick out whatever couples costume she wanted. He was busy running Q branch and a build up of deadlines meant he wouldn’t be able to do anything elaborate this year. 

* * *

Two weeks before Halloween, M revealed that he had signed them up to trick or treat with kids whose parents worked in the local hospital and wouldn’t be able to accompany their kids. They would have plenty of time to take them out and then return them to the daycare center before the office party. Tanner, despite being in a wheelchair after his car accident, signed up eagerly. So did Eve and Octavia. The others were bribed in various fashions. 

“If I have to go, you do too,” Q told R, holding out the clipboard. 

“Pretty sure it should mean the opposite. You’re going to be gone, so I need to be in charge of the branch. Besides, I don’t have a costume.”

“I’m told Octavia has one picked out for you. Something she saw at the Emporium that she said would be perfect.” Q wasn’t sure he trusted his wife’s judgement in that regard, but she’d assured him that the costume took R’s hijab into account. “Besides, we have been talking about getting Zoe trained up to be deputy. You know its been a quiet week. It would be the perfect opportunity. And,” he drove home his last point, “we’ll both be nearby so if anything comes up that she absolutely cannot handle, we’ll be nearby. Perfect test.”

R barely resisted sticking out her tongue. “FIne.” She grabbed the tablet and signed her name. “So what’s the costume?”

“Oh yeah I don’t know. She hasn’t even told me our costumes yet, you know how she is. Come over tonight and she’ll get you fitted though.”

* * *

Two days before Halloween and suddenly Felix needed a last minute costume because James talked him into joining as long as he was staying in England for some diplomatic mission. He took great joy in purchasing the Captain America costume. 

* * *

They met up in the foyer of the Riverhouse. Eve, of course, was the first one there. Her dress was perfectly ironed, her hat perched on her head, and her umbrella was clasped in her right hand. 

“Where did you get that bag!” Q exclaimed as he walked out of the lift, Octavia on his arm. “It looks perfect!”

“It was my grandmother’s. Been sitting in storage for years. Finally found a use for it. But look st you two! No, let me guess.”

Q had rich navy pants, a double breasted jacket with gold buttons and blue rope accents on the shoulders. She thought she spotted a crown hiding among his wild hair. And Octavia beside him wore a fetching sky blue gown with a black corset that accentuated her curves. She also had a large blue bow in her hair. Though it wasn’t her hair. He had a perfectly styled wig of ginger hair that made the costume a giveaway. 

“Ariel and Prince Eric!” 

Eve whirled around to see who had shouted before her. “Tanner! You stole it from me!”

From the opposite lift, Tanner wheeled across the tile. Proudly, he brandished his whisk at them. “Exterminate!” The others laughed. The custom panelling on his chair really looked like a sleek dalek case, curving around the boxy frame of the chair. And he had a helmet on with lights one of the minions had helped with. “Q your staff are the best.”

“And yet you still have a plunger.”

“Can’t hear you over my awesome whisk and plunger.”

“You look amazing Tanner,” M said. 

Moneypenny turned to look at their boss. He had the flow-y white shirt and ripped pants barely tucked into high boots. Most importantly he had the parrot on his shoulder. Vibrant green and red feathers with a sharp beak and piercing gold eyes. 

“Come on,” Q said. “Let’s hear this parrot.”

M pressed a button and the mechanical mouth opened. A speaker inside squawked out “Polly want a cracker!” in a loud voice. He pressed it again, “Walk the plank!” 

Q shook his head. “I told you my staff could do better.”

“Your staff are not paid to build animatronics no matter how many of them want to. This was fine. Besides, there was one record your own slot.” He double clicked the trigger. Unmistakable M’s voice came out of the parrot beak shouting, “God dammit, Bond!”

Q snorted. Eve and Octavia outright laughed. “You’ll be needing that often, sir,” Tanner said, straightfaced. 

“Where are those two trouble makers anyway?” Octavia asked. “R was coming from the other direction so she will meet us at the hospital, but James and...” she trailed off as she heard a strange noise. Almost like a cartoon spring effect. 

They saw Felix first. Striding in, emblazoned in his stars and stripes, a large circular shield on his arm. But behind him, bounced Tigger. 

Eve could not believe what she was seeing. A full cartoon tiger costume, head and all, came bouncing around the corner on its tail. A tail that even collapsed accordion style with every bounce. Next to her, Tanner muttered, “their bottoms are made out of springs.”

James Bond, the fearsome agent 007, bounced into the foyer on his tail and came to a miraculous stop on front of them balancing on his tail, hind legs swinging in the air. He held his arms out to his side. His large mask may have held his face, but Eve could hear the glee in his voice as he loudly announced, “Glad to meet ya! Name's Tigger. T-I-double guh-er! That spells Tigger!”

Laughing, they made their way to the hospital to meet R and pick up the kids. Eve had to stop herself from laughing every time they stopped at a crosswalk and Bond was just balanced on his tail. He’d explained that his legs were strapped to the pogo stick inside the tail and Lillian had made spokes to come out so he could balance, but it still looked so funny. 

R was waiting a bit nervously outside the hospital. But she had no need to look nervous. “R, darling, you look drop dead gorgeous!” Eve exclaimed. “Jessica Rabbit, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m still not sure. It feels, I don’t know. Too much. I mean we’re escorting kids.”

Octavia shot her down. “And that’s a kids movie. You’re fine. Besides, we compromised on the skin tone leotard underneath and the large breasts are fake anyway.”

“I definitely don’t want to discuss my breasts in front of both my bosses.”

Octavia flapped her hand. “They aren’t dumb, Q sees you every day. They were just too kind not to ask about it.”

Felix interrupted. “Think about it this way. You get to be the role model for young hijabi girls who believe their hijab would get in the way of a good costume, but you have proved them wrong.” It was true. She wore a dark orange hijab styled to look like hair. It was the perfect shade to match her lipstick and blush.

“Alright, we’re all here, so let’s go inside.” M lead the way. 

Bringing up the rear, R whispered to Octavia, “Is that really James Bond?”

“He did want the least suave agent costume the minions could think of.”

* * *

They were each given clipboards with the names of their kids on them, four to a person. Not wanting to split up too much (they were still high ranking officials who needed to keep watch on each other’s back) they all went together. James, Felix, and Tanner were on the left side of the street while the others took the right. They told all the kids there would be a competition to see who got the best candy.

Things were going smoothly and the kids were cute. The little girl dressed as Elsa refused to let go of Octavia’s hand and one of the boys dressed as the 11th Doctor in a fez kept battling against Tanner. It was proving to be a fun late afternoon outing. 

Which of course, is where it all went wrong. 

Bond noticed it first. “Felix, something is happening.”

Felix looked around, hand hovering over his concealed weapon, but he didn’t see anything. He looked back to James. “I don't, James?” James was down on all fours, his tail bent, no curled up. He bent over to check on his friend, but as soon as he did, it was like something in his mind shifted. 

He shugged his shield off his shoulder and squared up ready for danger. Ready to fight off the tiger looking up at him. Where was he?

Across the street, Eve watched as with a twist of reality, M vanished and the parrot on his shoulder suddenly took to the sky. “God dammit, Bond!” it screamed as it flew away. There was no sign of M. “Q am I dreaming that?” There was no answer. “Q?”

“Who are you talking to?” he said, his voice with a shade of the commanding tone he had over tense missions. 

“I’m talking to you.”

“My name is Eric.”

“No you’re not.” She turned to Octavia. “Tell your husband to stop doing whatever it is he’s doing. This trick isn’t funny.”

Octavia opened her mouth, he vermouth moved, but no sound came out. Her eyebrows shot up to her, wait, that wasn’t a wig anymore. She closed her eyes and sighed. Eve could read lips to catch what she tried to say next. Not again.

She looked behind them to where R had been making sure they didn’t loose any kids. Shoot. The kids. 

Oh no. She really couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Some of the kids had utterly become their costumes. The little Elsa was making it snow around her, the vampire boy had bit his finger and was crying, she could see through the skeleton, and the angel had wings that were flapping. She looked around. There. With a sigh, she scooped up the Jack o’ Lantern which had been little Richie. She deposited him in her bag so he didn’t get squished. 

Then she looked back up and saw R. That was the weirdest one yet. She was utterly two-dimensional. “R? Jessica?”

She turned around and punched a goblin in the face. “Hiya, Darling, what’s got you lookin’ so worried? Are you missin’ someone?”

“She ain’t missing no one.” 

“Oh hush,” she snapped. 

“Your stick spoke!” Q pointed out. 

What. Oh no. She lifted her hand and sure enough, her umbrella winked at her. “Okay, listen up. I don’t care who you think you are at the moment, but we need to figure out what is happening.”

“Who put you in charge?” Q demanded. “I’m normally easy going, but I am a prince. I demand some respect at least.”

“Terribly sorry, your highness,” Eve snapped. “But our boss has turned into a parrot and flown off, your wife is mute, and your second is a literal cartoon. We need to figure out what’s going on and apparently I’m the only one who remembers anything.”

Octavia’s eyes widened and se pointed behind Eve. She turned, and saw the nightmare of many British children. A dalek advancing on her. Oh no. Eve threw her hands up. “Stop! We mean you no harm, don’t shoot! Your name is Bill Tanner and you’re our friend, and a human, not actually a dalek, and if you just wait I will explain as best I can.”

“Eve I know who I am. What’s going on?” The voice was robotic and mechanical, but Tanner still knew who he was. 

Eve cautiously lowered her hands. “Tanner? You still know who you are? No desire to murder everything?”

“Nope. But I’m stuck in here. Can barely see. Stupid eye stalk. How did the daleks get anything done with such a limited field of view?”

“Okay, phew. At least two of us are unaffected. If I were to take a guess, we’ve all become our costumes. Q thinks he’s a prince, Octavia can’t speak, and if you look to your right, R is completely two dimensional.” 

Tanner’s eyestalk swiveled, taking them all in. He even moved to the side to try to observe R from another angle. “That’s downright strange.”

“Watch who you’re calling strange, tin can,” R snapped. 

“Where’s M?”

“He flew off.”

“Flew?” He paused. “He’s a parrot! But he dressed as a pirate!”

Eve shrugged. “Don’t ask me. But where are James and Felix.”

Again Tanner’s eyestalk swivelled. Across the street was a strange sight. Captain America prowled the sidewalk, on the look out for threats, and Tigger bounced along side him. Not just on his tail like before, but fully bounding along on all fours and somersaulting through the air then bouncing again on his tail, singing all the while. 

Despite loosing their identity, they still remained best friends. 

“Tigger!” Eve struggled for a moment to remember what Captain America’s real name was. “Steve! Over here!”

Tigger bounced over Captain America and landed next to Tanner with a “Hello! I’m Tigger!”

‘I know who you are. We have to get somewhere safe, figure out what is happening. Stick together.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Captain America saluted. “You don’t happen to know a woman named Peggy Carter, do you?”

“Eve, what about the kids?” Tanner asked. 

She looked around. Gobins, vampires, werewolves, superheroes, jedi, and ghostbusters ran around wildly. A few angels and witches flew low, chased by an iron man who was about to crash. She also saw a scuba diver struggling to walk in their heavy diving suit and a poor kid who had dressed as the statue of liberty utterly unable to move. Everyone who could, was running and screaming. 

“I don’t think we can do anything other than figure this out.”

“There’s a safe house three blocks away. Follow me.”

* * *

The safe house turned out to just be Tanner’s house. He wheeled up the makeshift ramp and stopped at the door. “Shoot. I don’t have the key. It was in the pocket of my wheelchair.”

Eve shrugged. “You’re a dalek, can’t you use your sucker to open the door somehow?”

Tanner’s manipulator arm extended to cover the lock on his door. It suctioned on and contorted, but didn’t do anything. It retracted. “Sorry Eve. I may look like a dalek, but I don’t really know how all this works.”

“Let me,” Jessica slipped between them effortlessly. Reaching up, she pulled out two bobby pins. Leaning over incredibly suggestively (Captain America averted his eyes), she wiggled the pins around in the lock and a second later they clicked. The door popped open. “There you go, honey.”

Tanner rolled in and the others walking in behind. Well, Tigger bounced. 

“Let’s all go sit down and try to figure out what’s going on.”

* * *

Or that was the goal. Except then a stormtrooper burst through the door and started shooting. Captain America jumped forward to deflect the beams with this shield and Prince Eric suddenly charged forward with just his fists. 

“No stop!” Eve shouted. “They’re still kids!”

The men quickly changed tactics and forced the intruder out, now keeping guard. Eve grabbed her phone from her bag and opened twitter. 

“It’s all over London, but definitely near here.” She scrolled more as Tigger bounced around the living room and leaping over the sofa. “Not everyone transformed though. And there are other partial transformations.”

“Like how I’m still me,” Tanner said.

“Right, and I have an umbrella that talks, but I still know who I am.”

Ariel interrupted by bringing a picture frame over to Eve and pointing at it. The picture was Octavia, Q, Eve, and Tanner squished together in a restaurant booth, smiling and holding up drinks. She remembered that night. Well, the beginning of it anyway. “Yes that’s us.”

Eric walked over. “It certainly looks like us, but what is this magic that can create such small and detailed paintings?”

“I don’t really have time to explain that,” Eve said.

Captain Stars and Striped decided to walk over. “And what is in your hand where you are getting this information?”

She really didn’t have time for that. “Not important. I need you all to think. What is different about the people who didn’t transform?”

“Transform?” Tigger yelped. “Who’s transforming who? I don’t want no heffalumps and woozles transforming any honey pots into more Tiggers. I’m the only one,” he finished proudly.

“What’s different about your outside and your inside, metal creature?” Jessica asked. 

Tanner shrugged though no one could see. “On the inside I’m just me. Only the outside is metal.”

“Hold on. Tanner, can you open the casing?” Eve asked. “I mean if we’re working with “Doctor Who” rules, maybe you’re like Souffle Clara and you only think you’re still human.”

“I don’t know how to open the, oh.” As soon as he thought about opening the casing, the casing did just that. To Eve’s great relief, he looked like regular Bill Tanner, just with some cords coming out of his head. “Fully human?” Now that the casing was open, his voice sounded normal again.

“Fully human. Human in a dalek casing.”

A crash from the hallway interrupted them. “Bond? Tigger? Was that you?”

A pause. “Don’t be ridikkerous!”

Eve and Tanner both shook their heads. Tanner’s head movement being much more limited though. And as if the shaking has shook something loose, they suddenly had an epiphany. 

“Your costume. Only the wheelchair decorations were store bought.”

“So the chair transformed, not me.” Tanner grinned. “But what about you?”

Eve frowned. “Well the bag was my own, but the talking umbrella is definitely from the shop. But I got the coat from three too.”

The aforementioned umbrella chimed in. “He got the coat for the cheap. Didn’t make it himself.”

“Thank you.”

Which would explain why M turned into the parrot rather than being a pirate.”

To her chagrin, Eve had completely forgotten about her boss. “And everyone else got their costumes from the shop as well. As did so many of the locals. Alright. So, something in the Emporium caused this. That means we need to get back there.”

“Finally, a target.” Captain America stood up straighter. “Everyone stick together and we’ll get through this. Tigger! You stay at my side. Don’t want you getting lost.”

“Tiggers never get lost, bunny boy,” he replied with an enthusiastic bounce. 

“Be careful. Look out for each other.” Without waiting for an answer, he marched out of the house, Tigger bouncing at his side. Eric followed after, Ariel silently on his arm. Tanner closed up his case and rolled out next, Jessica’s swaying hips following behind. 

Eve looked at her umbrella, which looked back at her and seemed to smile. She walked out, closing the door behind her. “In every job there must be done, there is an element of fun,” she muttered to herself. Then with a flick of her wrist, she twirled her umbrella up and open and took to the air. “Unless you know the way, follow me to the Emporium!”

* * *

Once there, it was clear that they weren’t the only ones who had figured out the source of the problems. But no one else had been able to get through the locked door. “Tanner? Would you oblige?”

Tanner swivelled and blasted the front door with his blaster. Captain America and Eric immediately marched in. The crowd which had been gathered around stepped back and let them through. They could perhaps tell that this organised group was better than some parents. 

While it was a large school, the glowing night and sound of thunder emanating from the back room gave a good hint of what was going on. Tanner raised his mechanical arm again, but Captain America put up his arm. 

“Wait. I’d like to know what’s behind there first. Jessica, would you mind?”

“Sure thing, doll,” she said and walked forward. It didn’t make sense, but though she walked forward, wide hips swaying side to side, she walked through the small gap between the door and the wall. She was gone only a moment before she came speeding out, her legs blurring as she ran. “You’re gonna want that blaster.”

“What’s in there?” Eric asked. 

“A demon,” she replied. “I’ve seen his kind before and I don’t like it.”

Captain America squared his shoulders and moved his shield to his left shoulder. “I don’t believe in demons.”

Tigger bounded up beside him. “Watch me scare the stripes off of this imposter,” he growled. 

The others stood back as Captain America rammed through the door, flinging it open against the wall. He continued running in and ran into a very solid table, whacking his thigh and falling back. Unhindered, Tigger bounced right over and landed on Baron Samadi, all claws out. 

Barons Samadi threw him off and across the room with surprising strength. He pushed himself up to his feet and the others cautiously entered the back room. The Baron was a tall man. Easily over six feet and the dark striped suit made him look even taller, plus there was the velvet black top hat that nearly reached the ceiling. His face was painted a skeletal white with deep black eye sockets and bone white teeth on his lips. 

Hovering near the ceiling, storm clouds slowly swirled around him, flickering with lightning and rumbling with thunder. Brushing out his suit, he brought his wooden flute up to his lips and played a short, haunting melody. “Welcome back to my Emporium. I’m so delighted to see you.”

“Undo this curse,” Eric demanded. 

Baron Samadi leaned forward, the clouds darkened, “No.” He cackled. “Why would I when everything worked out perfectly. I was so happy when Octavia here walked into the Emporium. The person I most wanted to see in here. She who stole my livelihood.” He paused, then seemed to wait for Octavia to say something. However, she was distracted by the objects scattered on the shelves of the room, picking up small trinkets and trying to figure out what they were for. 

“This isn’t as fun if she doesn’t know who I am, or who she is.” He walked in a figure eight and played three long notes on his flute. They seemed to hang and resonate in the room. “I won’t stop all the fun, but I can give you all some memories back.”

It was strange, but those who had been completely affected by the transformation now had memories of their life back. Yet they were not fully restored. Rather it was as if they had seen a film of their lives and empathize with the main character. It felt intimate yet distant. 

“Now, Octavia.” Distant enough that they still didn’t respond to their own names. “Or should I call you Ariel?”

Now her head snapped round. Her eyes widened with recognition. 

“Ah, now you do recognise me. One moment though.” He snapped his fingers and the other costumes in the room suddenly came to life. 

Inhabited only by empty space, the invisible characters became attacking the group. A jedi illuminated its light saber and turned to fight Captain America and Eric had to draw his short sword to fight off Mulan. A generic Slytherin started firing spells across the room at Tanner while a baby lion charged at Moneypenny and Jessica Rabbit. A spiderman costume looked completely convincing and tried to pin down Tigger. It wasn’t having any luck though. 

Moneypenny and Jessica Rabbit both fought the lion with a combination of shoes and an irate umbrella. Hoping she was lucky, Eve called out, “Tigger, Bond? If enough of you is back, use some of those spy skills to figure out how to break the curse!”

“Ariel, Ariel, Ariel. You ruined my life.” Baron Samedi loomed closer to Octavia and the shadows seemed to follow him. “I ran the Samedi Circus like my father had, and his father before, six generations of Samedis. And no, the business wasn’t great, we were having rough years, but it was our lot in life.” He played a more upbeat melody, a clear circus song, but the notes soured at the end. 

Captain America now had the light saber and was beating back the jedi while keeping the lion occupied. This freed up Tigger to bounce around and smash anything in sight. 

“And then, the managers sold our circus to an overseas conglomerate. The Octopussy Flying Circus,” he spat the name. “A company hardly deserving of the name ‘circus’ and certainly not a group I wanted overseeing how I ran things.”

Recognising the name, Octavia tried to shout back that her circus was only trying to save his, and that there was no need to insult her circus just because they had different acts. But her voice was still absent.

Baron Samedi clapped his hands. “Oh delightful! You’re furious but you can’t say anything to defend yourself.” The room darkened once again. “Now you know how I felt. The managers sold without telling me until the deal was finalised. My family’s livelihood, legacy, our lives, sold away like we were cattle. Or just another film in a movie theatre people paid to watch for two hours in silence and then forget about. But we’re not a recording on a film strip, we’re people.”

Octavia silently shouted back at him, now also advancing and gesticulating, trying to communicate what her vocal chords couldn’t. Tanner tried to exterminate the wizard and missed, instead breaking the window. 

“And after I got over my initial anger, I tried, oh I tried, to think positive. Maybe some renovation was a good thing. If we changed up the circus, perhaps people would return to see the new acts.” He returned to pacing between the fights, twirling his flute. “But it only got worse.”

Jessica Rabbit was pushed against the wall and held there, until her large breasts suddenly became three dimensional and shoved the costume across the room. Instantly, she was completely flat again. 

Eve nodded in appreciation. 

A crash rang out and the Baron was momentarily distracted. He whirled to see Tigger bouncing away from a topped shelf. “That was my mother’s vase!” 

Octavia ran to her husband’s side to help him back up to his feet. 

“Our family circus was ruined by the new ideas of the managers and then it went bankrupt. My life, in ruins! And all thanks to you!” He pointed dramatically at Octavia, but she wasn’t paying attention. She and Eric were rather distracted by a large bird swooping in through the open window. 

“God dammit, Bond!” The parrot screamed. Faster than expected, the parrot flew in and snatched the flute from Baron Samedi’s hand. With a squawk, he dropped it above Eric who caught it.

Without hesitation, he snapped it over his knee. In the room and around Central London, those who had been transformed started to remember that this was not who they were as their transfigurations faded. One by one, they also briefly blanked out as some magic transported them back to where they had been when the curse hit. (Baron Samedi may be angry, but even he didn’t want a bunch of children who’d chosen to dress as witches falling from the sky.)

Felix vanished from the room first and Octavia realised what was going to happen. Not wanting to miss her chance, she ran up to Baron Samedi and decked him. He was so upset by the snapping of his flute and the breaking of his curse, that he stood no chance. He was unconscious before he hit the floor. 

* * *

M was actually a bit disappointed to be returned to his body. He’d quite enjoyed getting the bird’s eye view of London. He reflected that perhaps the previous Q’s idea of robotic birds to gather intelligence wasn’t quite so mad after all. He’d have to speak with his quartermaster. 

* * *

Felix was relieved to be back in his own body. As they walked the kids back to the hospital day care, some of the protective instincts of Captain America lingered though. He thought now he understood why the character always seemed to charge into danger to protect someone, even when there was no chance he would return alive. It reminded him of James actually. One thing was for sure, he was much happier in the modern world.

* * *

Moneypenny hadn’t changed much, but she was incredibly relieved to have her friends back. She knew in years to come, they would tease each other about this night, and she was sure when Q got back to the office he would save some cctv footage, but right now she primarily felt relief. As they walked back toward MI6, she made sure to look at her friends when they each spoke, drinking in their faces and unique facial expressions. Tanner especially she was happy to see. 

It was never clear from just watching the show, but part of the terror of the dalek was the lack of a face, and barely any body expression. The mechanical voice made it seem like just a robot, but she knew Tanner, her friend, was inside the casing. It felt like a removal of humanity rather than a lack thereof. She was glad he was still laughing as he pretended to exterminate passing kids with his whisk. 

* * *

Q and Octavia walked into the party arm in arm. Normally they loved getting into character for the party, but it didn’t feel right. Q had hated seeing his wife so silent and submissive. He loved her for her joy and vitality. It took a lot of energy to run a circus and she had plenty. 

She had also hated being silenced. Despite James’s teasing, she wasn’t constantly talking, but having your voice gone hurt. It was having her opinion ignored, all of her was overlooked. Perhaps if her husband really was Eric he would speak up for her, but Q was terrible at being assertive. It's why he usually let the other minions run missions. 

He did look mighty fine in his costume though. She really should encourage him to dress up more often. 

* * *

R never would be able to articulate how being two-dimensional felt. But she did know that showing that much skin was deeply uncomfortable. Not to mention all the stares of the people they had passed on their way to the Emporium. It made her shudder just thinking about it. As soon as they got back to the Riverhouse, she went down into the basement to grab a jacket to put over her costume. The skin tight jumper Octavia had found didn’t feel enough anymore. So with a jacket on, she enjoyed the party as much as she was able to, but she did say her farewells early.

* * *

Halfway through the party, Tanner’s phone buzzed. He excused himself from the table and wheeled away. His arms were going to have some serious muscles when he was healed enough to walk again. It would be nice to move the chair with his mind though. He hoped there were people like Q out in the world working on making that both possible and affordable. It was certainly strange to wish he was a dalek again, but getting around had been easier. 

He took out his phone. It was an update from the team he had sent to bring Baron Samedi in for questioning. They couldn’t find him. And they couldn’t find the pieces of his flute either. 

Tanner glanced over to M. He was laughing with Eve and two of the trainee agents. No need to pass on the news yet. A second team would be arriving soon to more thoroughly search the premises anyway. He’d wait till there was some good news to temper the bad. 

* * *

James Bond had never had a better Halloween. He’d wanted to lose himself in his costume and he really did. He’d practiced the voice for months and with his talent for accents it was nearly flawless. He had even gotten Eve to give him some gossip on other employees he never spoke to in order to throw everyone off. Plus, as Octavia put it, Tigger’s boundless enthusiasm was the antithesis of James’s usual attitude at parties. Apparently, he sulked. Which he didn’t. But still he played up the cheer and child-like enthusiasm. Which, wasn’t too hard since he was on a pogo stick all night. It is really hard not to smile when you are bouncing everywhere. 

* * *

Plus, at the end of the night, to thunderous applause, he was awarded best costume.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt (in case you haven't guessed yet): MI6 crew become their Halloween costumes like the “Buffy” episode  
> Also, if someone wants to make art for this I would love them.


End file.
